Collagen type XII linked with poor overall survival in breast cancer.

Abstract

CancerVolume 129, Issue 3 p. 331-332 CancerScopeFree Access Collagen type XII linked with poor overall survival in breast cancer First published: 05 January 2023 https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.34623AboutSectionsPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL New research findings provide a better understanding of the type of collagen involved in the biology and progression of breast cancer. A study published in Nature Communications found that collagen type XII—a matrix molecule known to regulate the organization of other collagens—is upregulated as tumors progress in aggressive breast cancer.1 “Prior to this work, we knew very little about this type of collagen in breast cancer progression,” says senior study author Thomas R. Cox, PhD, a cell biologist and head of the Matrix and Metastasis Lab at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research at the Kinghorn Cancer Centre in Sydney, Australia. “This work contributes to increasing our understanding of how different extracellular matrix molecules work together to shape progression of diseases such as breast cancer.” In particular, the study examined filling a gap in the understanding of how the matrix network, referred to as the extracellular matrix (ECM), changes during tumor progression. Essential for coordinating multicellular life, the ECM provides the functional and structural support to cells and tissues throughout the body. In people with cancer, the normal tissue matrix is progressively replaced with tumor matrix through the secretion of cancer-associated fibroblasts. (Professor Cox and his colleagues also recently published additional results on the importance of the ECM in lung cancer.2) Professor Cox explained it as a seed growing in soil. “Imagine cancer cells as [the] seed, and the tumor microenvironment as the soil. By studying the soil—the extracellular matrix—we can begin to understand what makes some tumors more aggressive than others, and, by extension, begin to develop new ways to treat cancer,” he said in a press release.3 Prior research shows that collagen type I, a major structural component of ECM, can influence tumor progression by both its amount and its architecture. When abundant, collagen typically accelerates tumor progression. This can accelerate further when the collagen type I architecture is also changed in specific ways. As such, collagen type I may also play an important role as suggested by studies of its association with patient outcomes in breast cancer. In the Nature Communications study, Professor Cox and his colleagues examined the temporal distribution and organization of matrix molecules in collagen type I in tumors in mouse models as the tumors progressed from early preclinical stages of cancer through the late stage. As the tumors progressed, they found that the matrix molecules changed. In particular, collagen type XII increased. Additional experiments found that as collagen type XII increased, so did the metastases in other organs. These findings were then confirmed in human tumor biopsies that showed an association between high levels of collagen type XII and higher metastasis and poorer rates of overall survival. “Our work points toward the opportunity that collagen XII levels in primary breast cancer biopsies could be indicative of a more aggressive primary tumor with a higher propensity to metastasize,” says Professor Cox. However, he says that more research is needed to validate these findings. References 1 Papanicolaou M, Parker AL, Yam M, et al. Temporal profiling of the breast tumour microenvironment reveals collagen XII as a driver of metastasis. Nat Commun. 2022; 13: 4587. doi:10.1038/s41467-022-32255-7 2 Parker AL, Bowman E, Zingone A, et al. Extracellular matrix profiles determine risk and prognosis of the squamous cell carcinoma subtype of non–small cell lung carcinoma. Genome Med. 2022; 14: 126. doi:10.1186/s13073-022-01127-6 3 Garvan Institute of Medical Research. Collagen a key player in breast cancer metastasis. Science Daily. August 10, 2022. Accessed November 30, 2022. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/08/220810105151. htm#:∼:text=%22Collagen%20a%20key%20player%20in,ScienceDaily%2C%2010%20August%202022 Volume129, Issue31 February 2023Pages 331-332 This article also appears in:CancerScope Articles ReferencesRelatedInformation